WRKO bleeps out "Sirius XM" merger news

[raccoonradio]

Censored! Howie said a naughty word on the radio!

"Oh, breaking news--- Justice Dept. has approved the (silence). Oh that's good...(to producer)
Did you bleep that out? I can't report the news?"

Went to drudge: Sirius XM Merger Approved.
That's right folks: WRKO does not want you to hear the news.
(Similarly back when WTKK had Hannity and he had Opie and Anthony on as guests, WTKK
would not carry the hour. Promoting the competition.)

 

[ChrisNH]

I was going to pose a question to the group here on whether this merger approval was 'much-ado-about-nothing' for terrestrial radio, or whether it would accelerate the construction of a big tombstone in the shape of a red-and-white radio antenna.

I guess this would seem to suggest the latter.

 

[Dark Knight]

I don't know anything for sure, but if it were me, I would be more worried about WiFi than satellite radio if I were terrestrial radio. Until satellite has a viable local sales machine and until they are far more pervasive in automobiles, they will not be a big threat. Research shows that people who have satellite radios spend more time listening to their terrestrial radios anyway. They can chip away from TSL somewhat, but as a reach medium they are nowhere. The only medium that can compete with radio is TV.

To Rac's point about bleeping merger news, that's just silly. Probably some producer reacting to an old edict not to allow discussion of XM and Sirius on the air. It probably originated before Stern departed. This is news for goodness sakes - can they really be that afraid that people are going to jump in their cars and go buy radios now that the DoJ has passed the merger?

 

[Finn]

Had an opportunity to ask CEO of Liquid Compass http://www.liquidcompass.net/ about streaming in the car; he said there will be a wifi device for new cars by end of '09. If I understood correctly, the device will also be satellite-ready, but don't quote me.

And:

http://www.longtailbook.co.uk/The-Long-Tail/02-iTunes-Killed-The-Radio-Star

http://www.longtailbook.co.uk/The-Long-Tail/03-The-98-Percent-Rule

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

TV has a long history of doing this: if somebody is a guest on a program (say, a talk show), and they regularly appear on a program on "another network", they are identified in this manner. Why give a free plug for the competition? It is like the elephant in the living room - everybody sees it and knows that it's there, but does not
reference it. Granted, this particular case is a bit extreme...

 

[Neanderpaul]

Ten years of insolvency from out of which it can never come.
Multiple violations of FCC mandates.
Inflated subscriber numbers via unsold automobiles all over America
Subsidation of subscribers who cancel to keep numbers from dropping.
Failure to deliver the promised unique programming content depth.
Signal processing and dropout equivalent to AM radio.

Satellite radio is a failure on every front.

...and I'm a fan.

BUT!!!!...be careful what you wish for. You and I both know that the era of "free wi-fi for everyone" is coming. You know...when our municipal taxes will go toward providing internet access in every city...for FREE!!! And then internet radio will flourish.

...and it will fall under FCC regulation, and content will be restricted.

The circle is almost complete.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Eloquently stated, Neanderpaul. My prediction is that satellite radio will go the way of STV --
scrambled "movie channels" sent via over-the-air TV stations, in the days before major cable
penetration -- think: OnTV, Preview, Starcase.

The window for satellite radio is closing fast, for the reasons that you stated above.
The merger is merely a last ditch effort to stem the flow of red ink on the balance sheets.
If I owned stock in either company, I would be selling it all now, before the collapse...

 

[turkeydance]

sat radio and Blu-Ray are good for 3 years.
WiFi and downloads will handle all audio and video.
right now, on my HD computer moniter, i can watch
the NCAA's in high def. CBS has Inner Tube to watch
it's episodic shows. but....before the sats hit re-entry,
XMS will take what they can for as much as they can.
my advice: do not sign up for a long-term service contract.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

I don't know anything for sure, but if it were me, I would be more worried about WiFi than satellite radio if I were terrestrial radio. Until satellite has a viable local sales machine and until they are far more pervasive in automobiles, they will not be a big threat. Research shows that people who have satellite radios spend more time listening to their terrestrial radios anyway. They can chip away from TSL somewhat, but as a reach medium they are nowhere. The only medium that can compete with radio is TV.

Of course they're not worried about WiFi. Terrestrial is able to use it by streaming their stations over the internet. They can't use satellite radio to their advantage, but they CAN use wireless internet.

Oh, and Entercom is vehemently anti-satellite radio so it's no surprise they dumped out of the comments.

 

[nhradiochild]

Until satellite has a viable local sales machine and until they are far more pervasive in automobiles, they will not be a big threat. Research shows that people who have satellite radios spend more time listening to their terrestrial radios anyway. They can chip away from TSL somewhat, but as a reach medium they are nowhere. The only medium that can compete with radio is TV.

To Rac's point about bleeping merger news, that's just silly. Probably some producer reacting to an old edict not to allow discussion of XM and Sirius on the air. It probably originated before Stern departed. This is news for goodness sakes - can they really be that afraid that people are going to jump in their cars and go buy radios now that the DoJ has passed the merger?

Well, for starters, I purchased a Sirius satellite radio, installed it into my vehicle and listen to it exclusively. On a side note, this is a forced decision because my car radio no longer has an antenna to pick anything up. I find myself being quite surprised that I don't miss local radio. I guess it just goes to show you how far quality programming (and those neat little tickers) will go.

As far as the bleeping... can't imagine why they would do that unless the CBS radio ouerve made it seem like sound policy. Yep, they're very scared.

 

[Infidel]

Durble-you-bee-zee seems to have no problem mentioning "Sirius" and "XM."

 

[Dark Knight]

The problem with traditional radio and wi-fi that I am surprised is not being more aggressively pursued is that many of the commercials sold today can not be streamed due to music and voice rights issues stemming from the fact that the terrestrial signal is regional and the 'net is national. This touches off a whole other level of fees. If traditional radio can bridge this problem, wi-fi is a little more manageable, but we are still talking about infinite choice and programmability. That seems like a concern to me.

 

[Finn]

... but we are still talking about infinite choice and programmability. That seems like a concern to me.

exactly. far fewer listeners per show, less revenue per show. to maintain overall revenues, companies will have to offer many more choices at lower costs for each choice. I don't know for sure, but I am guessing that Severin's and Carr's salaries have peaked.... and there may be many more opportunities for on-air personalities, albeit at lower salaries. More opportunities for board ops, producers at current salaries.

More overall listeners, fewer per show. No one has to listen to D&C, Severin, or Finneran because they will have many other choices in the car. like SonicAl, for example. woohoo...

 

[XM RADIO]

Neanderpaul,, XM and Sirius are the wave of the future,,Who in their right mind would listen to Terrestrial , 12 commercials and 2 songs!!! At XM weve got Wolfman Jack, Phlash Phelps, Pat Clarke,and Marty with the party,, all commercial free,,at Sirius its Mr Music Norm N Nite,,,Cousin Brucie,,and Pat St John,, For music its always going to be Satellite!!!!!!!!

4 XMs since 05
3 Sirius since 05
Clear Channel worships satan

 

[Neanderpaul]

Neanderpaul,, XM and Sirius are the wave of the future,,Who in their right mind would listen to Terrestrial , 12 commercials and 2 songs!!! At XM weve got Wolfman Jack, Phlash Phelps, Pat Clarke,and Marty with the party,, all commercial free,,at Sirius its Mr Music Norm N Nite,,,Cousin Brucie,,and Pat St John,, For music its always going to be Satellite!!!!!!!!

4 XMs since 05
3 Sirius since 05
Clear Channel worships satan

Unfortunately, you also have multi-billion dollar debt that continues to grow, horrible audio processing, a signal that drops out, and nothing unique in content that terrestrial radio hasn't already provided. With better sound quality, and local flavor. And it's not commercial free. Those promos that run are as horrible sounding as the worst local cable ads ever were. And let's not forget the kiss of death...Nobody's really there live. Almost ALL of those alleged commercial free music shows are pre-recorded and allow for no feedback from the consumer. Just like all the Sunday night syndicated shows that nobody listens to. Terrestrial radio's audience attrition rate is the lowest of any mass medium, and in fact 93% of Americans surveyed are satisfied with what they hear every day. Radio works when executed properly. Problem is, in a lot of the country, it's not.

Satellite radio is the CB of our generation. It didn't work, and if there were a real opportunity for success, this attempted merger (remember, it still hasn't gone through) wouldn't be necessary. Companies don't merge when competition is strong.

Satellite radio has failed. Any other industry would've pulled capital investment dollars years ago, but Lee, and now Mel are such great salespeople, that some still want to believe. I want to. I want it to be the great oasis for those of us who actually know the product. I want it to be the opportunity to be heard nation/worldwide and for there to be more jobs for us.

But it isn't...

As soon as I heard they were doing everything on the cheap (voicetracking, not paying for content) I saw the end coming. Satellite will continue to fail until they make it unique. It's not. Music is music is music. No matter where you hear it. It's what comes between the songs that makes the difference. I've been yelling this from the rooftops for years.

...and just like satellite. Nobody's listening.

The sound quality sucks. The dropout sucks. The commitment to talent sucks. There's nothing Satelllite can give me that terrestrial doesn't. And if I truly want musical depth, which by the way, America doesn't, I have my mp3 player.

And remember...I'm a fan. I love the idea. Except, I've listened, and have been repeatedly disappointed by Satellite radio. Most Americans aren't that patient. First impressions almost always last forever. And the first impressions have been "what's the big deal? I can hear all this stuff on my radio now, why should I pay for this?"

And then they call their Satellite radio provider and tell them they want to cancel, and the provider offers to subsidize their programming.


...and the meter keeps on running. Dropping them further in debt every day.

 

[Finn]

more on wifi...

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWAT00918220080324?sp=true

Rick Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, said this class of Wi-Fi devices could eventually offer data transmission speeds of billions of bits per second -- far faster than the millions of bits per second available on most current broadband networks. Consumers could watch movies on wireless devices and do other things that are currently difficult on slower networks.

The white-space airwaves could become available in February 2009, when TV broadcasters switch from analog to digital signals. Whitt said he expects devices using white-space spectrum could be available by the end of 2009.

anybody know how much the 'devices' will cost?

 

[MassMusicMan]

Durble-you-bee-zee seems to have no problem mentioning "Sirius" and "XM."

WBZ is a legitimate news operation and a serious broadcaster. Entercom is not.

 

[nhradiochild]

Unfortunately, you also have multi-billion dollar debt that continues to grow, horrible audio processing, a signal that drops out, and nothing unique in content that terrestrial radio hasn't already provided. With better sound quality, and local flavor. And it's not commercial free.

Are you listening to XM or Sirius? I can't honestly judge audio quality right now seeings how I have it jury-rigged anyway. But it seems as though it shouldn't be terrible.

Those promos that run are as horrible sounding as the worst local cable ads ever were. And let's not forget the kiss of death...Nobody's really there live.

I haven't heard any promos other than live reads on Sirius. Most of the talk shows are live at least at the beginning of the day or whenever they being their original programming. Yes, they rerun, but it works out because many folks can't just listen non-stop for hours to a time. And how does this differ from about 70% of a small to medium market station anywhere anyway?

Almost ALL of those alleged commercial free music shows are pre-recorded and allow for no feedback from the consumer. Just like all the Sunday night syndicated shows that nobody listens to. Terrestrial radio's audience attrition rate is the lowest of any mass medium, and in fact 93% of Americans surveyed are satisfied with what they hear every day. Radio works when executed properly. Problem is, in a lot of the country, it's not.

I'm happy they are satisfied. But for me, it's a novelty to be able to listen to any format at my fingertips anywhere I am, except for maybe under a bridge or heavily wooded area.

Satellite radio is the CB of our generation. It didn't work, and if there were a real opportunity for success, this attempted merger (remember, it still hasn't gone through) wouldn't be necessary. Companies don't merge when competition is strong.

I can't sign off on it yet. CB didn't work well because it focused on essentially unregulated airwaves and low broadcast power (for those who wished to remain legal). Plus, comparing the two seems to be apples and oranges. CB is designed specifically for PTT voice comms, while the other is a continual one-way listening music service. As far as companies not merging when competition is strong... ??? I don't understand. Competition seems to be very strong or else they could charge a higher premium for their service I would imagine. However, I do think they put a lot more money into it than they thought they would, and they're just getting off the ground. Back when AM and FM stations were a new concept, do you think these stations made money out of the gate? Admittedly, it may not have taken them as long to get into the black, but what competition did THEY have then?

As soon as I heard they were doing everything on the cheap (voicetracking, not paying for content) I saw the end coming. Satellite will continue to fail until they make it unique. It's not. Music is music is music. No matter where you hear it. It's what comes between the songs that makes the difference. I've been yelling this from the rooftops for years.

I don't think it's about just listening to music on Sirius. There seems to be jocks (albeit cleverly VT'ed) on every channel that the format demands it. The novelty is to have it all at your fingertips all the time and on the same channels wherever you are. And there is room for growth and improvement. I'm willing to stick it out.

The dropout sucks.

I'm guessing you mean whenever you're traveling in an underpass or something. Satellite radio probably isn't for Boston and other cities like it. But out in the vast open land, there isn't anything better.

 

[Neanderpaul]

Are you listening to XM or Sirius? I can't honestly judge audio quality right now seeings how I have it jury-rigged anyway. But it seems as though it shouldn't be terrible.

XM via DirecTV these days. Wired into a home audio system. The levels and fidelity are woefully lacking.

I haven't heard any promos other than live reads on Sirius. Most of the talk shows are live at least at the beginning of the day or whenever they being their original programming. Yes, they rerun, but it works out because many folks can't just listen non-stop for hours to a time. And how does this differ from about 70% of a small to medium market station anywhere anyway?

And again, I've said that terrestrial's being done poorly in parts of America as well. But, those companies are not charging a premium subscription rate for access to their content.

I'm happy they are satisfied. But for me, it's a novelty to be able to listen to any format at my fingertips anywhere I am, except for maybe under a bridge or heavily wooded area.

Or on the backside of a concrete building in midday. I personally witnessed the Sirius sales reps have to put a CD of their programming on during a remote at a Best Buy in Sacramento CA. Because they were unable to get a signal at that time of day where the display was located.

I can't sign off on it yet. CB didn't work well because it focused on essentially unregulated airwaves and low broadcast power (for those who wished to remain legal).

And Satellite radio does?...

Plus, comparing the two seems to be apples and oranges. CB is designed specifically for PTT voice comms, while the other is a continual one-way listening music service. As far as companies not merging when competition is strong... ??? I don't understand. Competition seems to be very strong or else they could charge a higher premium for their service I would imagine. However, I do think they put a lot more money into it than they thought they would, and they're just getting off the ground. Back when AM and FM stations were a new concept, do you think these stations made money out of the gate? Admittedly, it may not have taken them as long to get into the black, but what competition did THEY have then?

Ten years is an inordinate amount of time. They've not delivered on the several promises. Not the least of which is the ability to broadcast all over America without the FCC approved use of terrestrial repeaters, which they violated. Those repeaters were not placed where they said they would, and the fact that the FCC hasn't acted upon these violations speaks to a very well-connected lobbying interest who's covering someone's behind. Plus, in order to get the consumer to buy in, you have to actually offer a superior product. Satellite has yet to do that. A thorough monitoring of their programming will show the same finite playlists, and repetition that's found on terrestrial radio.

Again, I wish it were what it promised to be. But somewhere along the line, someone realized it would cost a lot of money to deliver. And Wall St. has never been known for its patience. So, they cut costs before establishing the product.

I don't think it's about just listening to music on Sirius. There seems to be jocks (albeit cleverly VT'ed) on every channel that the format demands it. The novelty is to have it all at your fingertips all the time and on the same channels wherever you are. And there is room for growth and improvement. I'm willing to stick it out.

But there's nothing unique there that's worth paying for. If I want it all at my fingertips an IPOD with 10,000 songs can be had for one price, and I control it completely. No subscriptions. No dropout. No bad processing.

The only thing Satellite offers is the ability to swear on the air without delay. That gets old real quick.

The dropout sucks.

I'm guessing you mean whenever you're traveling in an underpass or something. Satellite radio probably isn't for Boston and other cities like it. But out in the vast open land, there isn't anything better.

Which is not worth the multi-billions they're losing. No company would say "Hey...I know the most populated cities in America are not topographically friendly. Our product is for that strip of nowhere between Salt Lake City, and Green River Junction, Wyoming. Where less than a million people can hear it"

My point is made. And supported by your response.

And I reiterate...I LOVE my XM. But it's not a real alternative to real radio. Not yet. And probably never.

 

[nhradiochild]

Hmm, I see your points. How depressing. :-[

I didn't know about them using terrestial repeaters. I guess it stands to reason, if they were to use them properly. How ironic, though.

So with this insight, what was terrestrial radio worried about again?